Handwheel for car brakes



Aug. 16,1932. H. l. WRIGLEY 1,872,052

HANDWHEEL FOR CAR BRAKES Filed Dec. 18, 1929 iran srrs e ATTACHMENT 00., A CORPORATION ILLINQIS HANDWHEEL roLa can BRAKE/S The invention relates to wheels employed in connection with the brake mechanism of railway cars for setting the brakes by hand. Its objects are to provide a wheel which may be conveniently grasped by the operator, will be safe in its operation, and which will prevent the objectionable but common practice of inserting a bar through the wheel, for engagement by the brake staff as a fulcrum whereby the effective leverage may be increased.

The above-named advantages are secured y the present invention which consists of a wheel, in disk form, of approximately uniform thickness, radially ribbed to increase its strength, and provided at its rim with a gripping flange, the wheel being without perforations of sufficient size or so disposed as to admit the use of a lever bar.

what. dished, as plainly indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, and at its margin is continued as a flange 15 substantially parallel to the axis of the wheel, this flange preferably extending downwardly as shown, the dished face ofthe wheel being regarded as its top even though the wheel may be applied to a'horizontal lat the endor side of a car. :lower margin, the flange 15 curves outwardly At its outer or and upwardly as shown at 16, and at its outer edge is preferably provided with a head which constitutes the grip element 12. The

. 1nargin of the web of the wheel, the flange 15 and the grip element 12 preferably follow an undulating line as shown, this form having as one of its advantages the provision of a more secure. grip.

It is a common practice with operators 80 In the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention Fig. l is a plan view of the wheel; Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof viewed from the points indicated at 3-3 in Fig. 1 or from 16 points midway between such figures;

Fig. 3 is a diametrical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sections, respectively, on the lines 4-4: and 55 of Fig. 1. so

nated by the numeral 10 and preferably, and as shown, is a unitary casting. With the exception of its hub element 11 and its grip element 12, it is of approximately uniform thickness, thereby simplifying the molding operation and lessening the danger of casting imperfections, such as segregations. The hub 11 is socketed to receive the end of a brake staff, the socket being preferably tapered to insure a tight fit.

The web of the wheel is sinuous circumferentially. The several convolutions, here shown as four in number, are sector shaped and are of the greatest depth, that is, in a direction parallel with the axis of the wheel, where theyunite with the hub 11, as shown at 13, their depth gradually decreasing to the outer margin of the web, at 14, where they are nearly, but preferably not quite flat.

The web of the wheel is preferably some- The improved wheel is generally desig- 1 lmere drain holes, as 17.

to insert itheihajnd or fingers throughapen tures in a brake wheel and to increase the .leverage by inserting a bar through the wheel and engaging it with the brake stafi'. These practices frequently result in injury to persons or property by the accidental release of the brake; and the use of the lever is further objectionable because it often results in a too violent application of brakes causing the sliding of the car wheels on the rails to their serious injury. g f I These practices arev efi'ectually prevented by the wheel forming the subject of this application as it is devoid of openings, save I claim as my invention:

1. A diskwheel for brakes, the web thereof comprising a plurality of sector shaped con VOlLltlOIlS of greatestv axial d mension adjacent the'center of thewheel.

2. A disk wheel for brakes, the web thereof being of substantially uniform thickness and comprising a plurality of sector shaped convolutions of greatest axial dimension adjacent the center of the wheel.

3. A disk wheel for brakes having a depending gripping fiange its margin, the disk and flange being of uniform thickness, the disk'being' circumferentially sinuous and comprising a plurality of sectors having a maximum depth adj acent the hub.

4. A hand brake wheel comprising a hub,

ev-area HENRY I. WRIGLEY, or CHICAGO, ILLINorsAssIenoR To UNIVERSAL nears." seen a substantially imperforate disk extending from the hub, its outer margin constituting the periphery of the wheel, and a flange extending transversely from such margin and of a depth constituting a grip member, the outer margin. of the flange being in the form of a return bend.

5. A hand brake wheel comprising ahub, a disk extending from the hub, its outer margin constituting the periphery of the wheel, and a flange extending transversely from such margin and of a depth constituting .a grip member, the outer margin of the flange being curved outwardly.

6. A disk hand wheel for brakes having at its periphery a flange approximately normal to the plane of the wheel and of a depth to form a hand grip, the outer margin oi the flange being curved outwardly and terminating short of the periphery of the disk.

7. In a disk hand brake wheel, a hub,-anda web integral therewith, the web comprising a series of sector-shaped convolutions of maximum depth at the juncture of the web and hub.

8. In a disk hand brake Wheel, a hub, and a Web integral therewith, the web comprising a series of sector-shaped convolutions of maximum depth at the juncture of the web and hub, the periphery of the web being flanged downwardly, the margin of the flange being upturned.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a hand Wheel for railway brakes comprising a unitary casting including a disc-shaped body having a central hub and a peripheral flange of material depth disposed transversely to the plane of the body of the wheel to afl'ord a hand grip, the body of the wheel between the hub and the flange being free from openings of a size that will permit the insertion of a bar or the hand or fingers of a brakeman.

10. As a new article of manufacture, a

hand wheel for railway brakes comprising a unitary casting including a disc-shaped body having a central hub and a peripheral flange of material depth disposed transversely to the plane of the body of the wheel, the outer periphery of the body and'the flange being configured to afford a hand grip, the body of the wheel between the hub and the flange bemg free from openings of a size that will permit the insertion of a bar or the hand or fingers of a brakeman.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HENRY I. WRIGLEY. 

